Tale of a Fallen Cetra
by Happycat
Summary: Cloud and company go to find Aeris, only to witness her violent death. But what if Sephiroth didn't really kill Aeris? This is the story of what really happened to the beloved Cetra.
1. The Beginning

.:: Chapter 1: The Beginning ::.   
  
"I will always watch over you Cloud...." I shuddered, the cold grip of death spread through my body like a rapid disease. I opened my mouth to scream for help, for anyone to come and hold me, tell me it was ok, that'd I'd be fine. I guess they were too shocked for words as well. I glanced upwards, weakly as I felt Cloud lower me onto the cold hard cement of the alter. I saw Sephiroth swing his Masamune Blade ominously over my head. I heard yelling..  
  
"SHUT UP! Aeris will no longer laugh.. Cry... Get angry.... What about my plan?! My feelings?!"  
  
"Don't act like your sad... Or angry Cloud.. Because you are..." I dimly made out Sephiroth fly above me, and disappear.   
  
"Cloud! Watch out! Jenova!" I could hear Tifa yell, Yuffie ran up, looked down on me with tears in her eyes, then pulled out her Twin Viper and began to fight the massive creature looming above the four of us.  
  
I knew they knew there was no hope for me.. I knew I wasn't going to live for very much longer... I knew. I closed my eyes. "Please.." I uttered, beginning to slip away from life, "Please finish... What I could not." Darkness surrounded me, swallowed me whole. I was scared, and yet, I knew I shouldn't be. I knew I would always see Cloud, I was going to be with him all the way, but part of me wanted to be able to hold him, talk to him, help him through the hard times he'd have to face alone, without my comfort.. 'Heh, we never did get to ride more rides at the Golden Saucer' I thought as a green glow neared me. 'The Lifestream...' I suddenly was swept in warmth, happiness. But yet, I was not happy. My body, it felt like I was flying, like I wasn't really there. I opened my eyes, yes, I was not where I really thought.   
  
"What.. Where??" I sat up. How could this be? All around me were tables, cold, metal tables. "Tseng?!" My eyes widened as Tseng stood in front of me, smiling smugly.   
  
"Your awake. Good. That experiment worked well this time Aeris, we were able to get a DNA sample, and send it through Shinra Labs while you were napping." My hands were covered in sweat, my mouth was dry. What was going on? All this happened months ago! Not now, not today..  
  
"Tseng? What's going on?" I asked weakly. I looked at my stomach. No blood. No cut. No scar. How? "Tseng, I was hurt.. Hurt bad, Cloud couldn't save me. Sephiroth did it. His Masamune Blade was shoved right through me."  
  
"Cloud?" He asked with a puzzled look, the smug one fading. "Aeris, do you hallucinate? No... Sephiroth? Masamune Blade?! I need to get Hojo right away." He ran out of the room, swiftly, not cocky and tough like normal.  
  
"Tseng.. No, don't leave me." I shivered. "What is going on..?" Laughter came from behind me, dark, cold laughter. I slowly turned, by fingers began to go numb.  
  
"Tsk, tsk Aeris. I couldn't just let you die." Sephiroth was behind me, glaring down on me. "Your powers exceed mine. Cloud and the others have no idea how powerful you really are. I had to get you away from them, keep you away. What better way than to throw you into the past?!" He laughed again, holding his gut and knee, laughing like a complete fool.  
  
"Shut up! Shut up shut up!" I covered my ears, No, he can't do this! My eyes began to burn, my head began to ache. I jumped off the metal table I had been placed upon and ran out of the Shinra Lab. I had to find Cloud, he'd be in Midgar. I just knew it.   
  
As I ran, I heard Sephiroth laughing, harder than before. "Creep.." I huffed, as I ran down the stairs, down the elevators, and into the lobby. I pushed on the glass door to the entrance. It was locked. "Damn..." I uttered as two Shinra guards caught sight of me, and figured I was a lab experiment, and mustn't be freed.   
  
"Gosh! What fun.." I reached into my pocket, and filtered around. Success! I yanked out a glowing green ball. "Bolt!" I yelled throwing it into the air, then bringing it close to my chest. I looked up as green light shot up from the ground around me, then large bolts of lightning struck the guards. One yelled in pain, the other just keeled over and fainted. "No way my Materia is strong enough to kill," I scowled, "Weaklings!" I ran up, kicked the guard on his knees in the side and reached into his pocket. I yanked out a silver key and flung myself into the glass doors once more.   
  
"C'mon..." I muttered, "Dammit! Open!" I yelled frantically pushing the key into the lock, finally it unlocked and the doors wooshed open. I ran outside the building and down the huge staircase. I fumbled to the train station, stealing some flowers from an old woman and shoving them into a basket. Pushing a lock of almond hair out of my eyes, I stood on the curb and waited. And waited.... And waited.  
  
I awoke to the sound a of a huge explosion coming from a nearby reactor. I smiled, "He's coming!" I jumped up brushing the wrinkles from my dress. "Ok, don't say his name... Don't say his name..." I breathed. If I said his name, Cloud'd think I was someone out to get him, working from Shinra. Someone like Scarlet. "Blah!" Thinking of Scarlet made me gag, her revolting dress, and unbearable perfume. "I'd rather be with Yuffie." Quietly laughing, I saw Barret streak by and duck into a dark, abandoned building. I saw Ward tumble into a pool of water from the drainage. Again, I snickered.  
  
"Are you ok? You shouldn't be out here, it's going to get dangerous." I turned, Cloud was standing before me. What should I say?   
  
"Oh really? Well, should I go?" 'Grrr, what a dumb thing of me to say!' I secretly scolded myself.  
  
"Are those flowers? You don't see many of those around Midgar." He smiled, reaching out and touching one's petal.  
  
I blushed, "They grow in my church, the only place in Midgar I can find where flowers will grow healthy." It was true, they used to, but his big butt squished them. I laughed out loud, holding my stomach. What a mean thing of me to think of, Cloud saved me that night, but it was still very funny.   
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"No.. Hehe.. Nothing." I breathed in, trying to end the laughter, no good. He still persisted I tell him. "Please, no... Hehe.... It's nothing... Haha!" Cloud was getting aggravated.  
  
"It's something... You'll tell me.. Someday." He then reached out for a flower, "May I buy one?" He smiled, and stood the same, cocky way he always did.  
  
"Yup! One Gil please, but then you must promise me something." Now I was getting somewhere. His face filled with puzzlement, and question. I smiled happily. "After you save me, we must go to the Forgotten City."  
  
"Save you? From what?"  
  
"Just, when you do. Trust me, you will." I handed him the flower and walked off, back to my house. It wouldn't be long now. He'll crash into my Church soon enough.  
  
"Wait!" Cloud came running after me. "What's your name?" Should I tell him now..? If I did, I'd have to come with him. Would I hurt the present by changing the past?? I wondered, my heart beginning to pound. "My name?" I squeaked, clearing my throat immediately after. "My name is Aeris." He smiled.  
  



	2. The Meeting

.:: Chapter 2: The Meeting ::.  
  
I paced in my church, the flower garden was beginning to wilt. "Oh, dear.. Even if Cloud is going to smoosh you, you all look so sad." I reached over and touched one, the petal fell right into my palm. I sighed and began to water the garden. No sooner had I gotten the flowers moist, I heard a loud scream from above. Quickly I tucked and rolled to safety. Cloud crash landed onto the flowers, right where I had been standing. A sigh of relief escaped my lips, Cloud sat up clutching his side with an extreme look of pain.  
  
"Urgg," he winced, then saw my standing there smiling, and his hurt eyes turned to shocked anger.   
I frowned, feeling bad for smiling. "I'm sorry, are you ok?! I'm just glad you aren't dead from that fall. Amazing, you fell from the top of the reactor!"  
  
His eyes softened, "I'm ok, your flowers saved me.. Errr... Your squished flowers. I'm really sorry. That was your livelihood, and my big butt killed it!"  
  
I laughed. "It's ok, I've a feeling I won't need this garden anymore." I helped Cloud up.   
  
"My name is Cloud Strife. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."  
  
"Aeris, Aeris Gainsborough." I smiled, and he smiled back. "Well," I said dusting my hands, trying to get some of the dust from the fall off me, "Shall we head somewhere else, where we can talk?"  
  
"How about.... Oh I don't know.. Hojo's Lab so we can finish testing you?" Cloud and I turned around to see Reno and a handful of Shinra Guards walk into the Church towards them.  
  
"Testing you?" Cloud glanced at me, then back at Reno. "Who are you?!"   
  
Reno laughed, "I'm Reno, of the Turks. I'm here to take Aeris back to Tseng and Hojo."  
  
"Turks?"   
  
"The Turks, Shinra's personal.... 'Problem Fixers'. We take care of what Shinra's President can not. Such as taking Aeris to the labs." Reno laughed, glad to have come up with a nice way of describing his job.  
  
"So in other words, you kill, cheat, lie, steal, and kidnap?" Cloud slowly reached for his Buster Sword, spoke, practically spitting the words. "I mean, that's all the things the President can not handle on his own, but can afford to handle. So am I right?! Your his little lapdogs right?!"   
  
"Yes."  
  
I grabbed my Wizer Staff quicker than anyone could have time to react, "Healing Wind!" I yelled, orange light submerged from the ground around me, I waved my staff in circles and then above my head. Healing magic shot out of it and circled Cloud and I, suddenly we felt the warmth and love of the magic. No sooner had it come, it left, and Cloud was much more swift and calm.  
  
"C'mon Aeris! Go to the back!" We ran, Reno and the soldiers did not follow. In the back room, the giant vacuum Cloud had defeated on the top of the reactor was in ruins. "Shit..." he muttered angrily.   
  
"It's ok! Look!" I pointed to the rubble, it had built a semi-staircase leading to the ceiling. At the top of the ceiling were some old barrels and a hole to the roof. "Come on Cloud! Climb!" I ran up towards the top, as did Cloud. Bullets began to wizz by our heads, "Cloud help!" I yelled. I'd lost my balance and fell down to the bottom of the floor. Cloud kept running, trying to get to the barrels.  
  
"Hang on!" He yelled down to me. 'Hang on!? Hang on! There are guards coming at me with automatic guns and he wants me to hold on?!' Frantically I scrambled to my feet, and push the large piece of wood in front of the path leading to me.  
  
"Nah!" I stuck my tongue out at one trying to climb over the wood. "Take that!" I whacked him in the head with my Wizer Staff and ran. Giggling, I began to climb back up to Cloud.   
  
"Aeris!!" I turned, a guard was right behind me, his gun to my head. I gulped. "Aeris! tuck and roll!" Without thinking, I did just that. I heard a loud thud, and a muffled yell for help. I sat up dazed, and smiled. The soldier was stuck, Cloud had knocked a barrel on top his head.  
  
"I'm coming up!" I yelled, too late, Cloud lept down from the ceiling, next to me. "Well, ok, works both ways I guess." I smiled.  
  
  
  



	3. An Understanding

.:: Chapter 3: An Understanding ::.  
  
"So.. Let me get this straight..." Cloud glanced at me, pale and blue. "Your not you.. Your, your past, and I'm my past??" I sighed and nodded. Why did I tell him..? He'll never understand... But just maybe...  
  
"I'm not my past. I'm me! I'm Aeris! Your who I met, your Cloud. Your Cloud's past. His memories of what happened when we met." I was getting frustrated. It was no use, Cloud didn't understand. "Cloud.. Listen, ok? Just listen." We were sitting down on my bed. I could hear my mother bustling around in the kitchen, cooking supper. He nodded, intent on figuring out what was going on. For about an hour I explain the events leading up to The Forgotten City and Sephiroth. "He wants me away from you. The only way he could do it without killing me was to make it seem like I was dead to you, but to throw me back here. Do you understand at all Cloud?"   
  
"Yes, I mean, I think. I mean... What do we do?" He scratched his head.  
  
"I've got to get to the Forgotten City." I stated, then stood up and moved over to a mirror. "I've got to be with you, I've got to help you. Meteor will destroy the earth if I don't. I can't use Holy now, my materia fell from my hair ribbon, it's in the water, under the alter." The memories of that night came flooding back to. Cloud, his sword raised above my head. The screams of Tifa and Yuffie. The look on Cloud's face when he saw Sephiroth falling from above. The sound of metal and flesh clashing together. The agonizing pain. It was too real. Was this just a game?? A small part in a major scheme. This was all to much. for the first time I felt I really was in over my head. The room began to spin. Cloud became just a blur, mixed in with the other spinning items in my room.  
  



	4. Runaway

.:: Chapter 4: Runaway ::.  
  
"Aeris, your awake." I sat up. "You collapsed on the floor. Honey, what's wrong?" My mother was standing there. No, not my mother. For the first time, I saw her in a different light. This wasn't my mother. Hojo killed my mother. My mother was a Cetra like me. She'd be able to help me. Not this woman.  
  
"No--Nothing." I lied. I had to leave this place. Get away from everyone. If I was to return to my friends I had to return alone. Cloud could not help me. My mother could not either. Only me. "I.. I just need some rest. Please, please let me sleep." My mother, face full of worry and confusion, nodded and left the room. Down below me I could hear the muffled conversation of Cloud and my mother, ending with the sound of the front door shutting. I jumped up and looked out my window. Cloud was leaving, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the stars.   
  
"I... Don't get it." he said aloud, then walked off, back to the Slums.  
  
It was late, my every sense was on edge. I slowly tiptoed outside, and looked back at my house. My window. My garden. All of which I would quite possibly never come back too. "What difference does it make?! I'm dead if I go, dead if I stay!" I sighed, I shouldn't yell like that.. I slipped over next to some of my flowers growing in my garden. "What's this...?" Something shiny was behind a small patch of flowers. something red. "Materia..." I snatched it up and slowly began to walk into the Slums.  
  
I fearfully looked around, my eyes widening, everywhere I turned drunks were staggering out of bars, prostitutes were swarming to Corneo's, and hobos were whistling to me on the side of the road. "This is horrible.." I uttered as a very grubby, hobo-ish person began to 'dance' for me. Although it was more like a hobble, drunken stagger, and twirl mixed together. I gave him a piece of 'Chocobo Sage's Gum'. "Do you know where I can find an Auto Rental?"  
  
"Yep.. I've been tryin' ter get myself them big lotto winnin's fer some time now. Try goin' ter 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven' she likes ter supply people like us with them lotto cards whenever Shinra taxes go down." He slumped down onto the road curb and began to smack the gum noisily in his mouth. I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere with this guy, and as I began to turn away someone called my name.  
  
"Aeris! Hey, Aeris!! Wait up!" It was Timothy, my neighbor. "Huff... He-...Hey Aeris... Huff.. Where-...Where are you going?"  
  
"Tim.. Do you know where I can rent a bike?" I looked at Tim.. He was my age and a nice guy, always helpful, but mostly because of the crush he had on me. "I need to go to Chocobo Sage's.. I er.. Left a blue racing Chocobo there, and I'm thinking about going to the Golden Saucer to get some cash for my Mom's birthday. It's coming up ya' know."  
  
"Oh.. Didn't I tell you, Aeris?? I bought a bike a couple of weeks ago. I was coming to pick it up from Shinra, and saw you. Heh.." He put his left arm up behind his head and scratched his neck, "Would you like to come and pick it up with me? It's got two seats, we can both go to the Chocobo Stable. I'd like to buy some greens and catch myself a nice, strong Chocobo next time I go to the Crater."  
  
I smiled, of course, this was the perfect way to get a bike. I could ditch Tim at the stable, that way he'd be able to catch a Chocobo and ride back here in Midgar. "That'd be great, Tim. Thanks a lot!" He smiled and we both walked up towards Shinra Inc.   
  
"Here it is!" He smiled and turned on the motorcycle's engine, after entering the Shinra building. It was the same bike we stole the night Sephiroth murdered the Shinra President and Rufus took control. Something was odd here.. The Shinra building was empty, except for a Cleaning-Bot. They could only see dirt. All humans were considered un-hostile, unless their weapon was drawn, so the bot took no notice to the two of us.  
  
"Shouldn't there be someone here?? Ya' know.. To make sure you took the right bike?" This didn't feel right.. Something was wrong.  
  
"Naw... They told me to come by during after hours, said they had a very important meeting with the officials of other regions. The biggest, they said, were the High Priestess of Mideel, the Dojo of Wutai." He smiled, but I was still unsure, but tried to smile and make myself feel more calm.  
  
"Haha. Dojo of Wutai? That's Yuffie's dad!" I pretended to laugh at the thought of Yuffie being important in the world, but that just make a ball grow inside my chest. "Err... Well, be better get going... Ok?" I got onto the back of the motorcycle, and slipped a jet-black helmet over my head.  
  
"Ready?!" he called over his shoulder. I gave him a thumbs-up and then wrapped my arms tightly around his stomach. The engine roared and we sped off into the night.  
  



	5. Bahamut Strikes Again

.:: Chapter 5: Bahamut Strikes Again ::.  
  
"Aeris! Behind you!" I managed to turn in time to duck as a huge Guard Hound leapt at me. Tim was fighting off to other Guard Hounds, and we weren't winning. "Aeris, do you have any materia?!"  
  
"Yea.. but only Lightning, and it isn't much use!" I held it out to show Tim, but it wasn't green.  
  
"Aeris! That's not an element materia! What is it?" He rolled to the ground as one of the Guard Hounds used its tentacles as a whip.   
  
"I.. I don't know! I found it in my garden last night!" I turned, a sharp pain had arisen in me, and proceeded to get worse and worse, I couldn't feel my fingers, I couldn't see straight, I couldn't breathe.   
  
"Aeris!!" Tim ran up and did his weak level one limit, "Fury Flurries," on the Guard Hound that had its two tentacles wrapped around my neck, becoming tighter and tighter. The Guard Hound let go and fell to the side, dead. "Quick use that materia! It's red, that must mean you have a summoning creature!"  
  
I held the red materia in my palm. "Summon the power confined!" I yelled, as a red glow became to pulsate throw my body. I seemed to fade into nothing, and so did Tim, until we stood together in a different realm. Blackness all around, except for a small window of light. It was like glass, and through it we could make out the Guard Hounds tumbling over each other trying to run away from a larger creature.   
  
"What the..?" Tim gave a perplexing look at me then, almost mechanically, back at the window. My creature gave an earsplitting screech, and spread it's huge wings. The Guard Hounds would not escape.  
  
"I feel sorry for them..." I smiled as I realized which summon creature Sephiroth had so carelessly left me. It was one of the strongest Summon Beasts I had yet come by. "Bahamut."  
  
"What...?" Tim looked back at me nervously. His face made an expression that could only be explained as demonic. I eyed him, what was with that face? "Bahamut huh? We'll just see how strong he is later." He was forced to look away from me, as the Guard Hounds made a yelp of pain and fear, till they too slumped over, and died.  
  
The blackness faded and once again Tim and I were standing on the grassy fields located outside Midgar. "Let's go Tim," I muttered, looking down at the dead beasts, and then hopping onto the back of his chopper. Tim nodded and got onto the front of his bike and started the engine. In seconds we were on our way to the Chocobo Stables.  
  
  
  



	6. Sonyia

.:: Chapter 6: Sonyia ::.  
  
"So," Sage smiled, walking over to the back of the Chocobo Shop's counter, "You need Chocobo Greens?" He dangled a basket over the counter containing all the greens he owned. I saw Curiel Greens, which power up a Chocobo's stamina, to Sylkis Greens which improved a Chocobo's stamina, speed, and intelligence. "Which do you need?"  
  
Tim looked at the selection of Chocobo merchandise and decided on Mimett Greens. "Great! Sage, I didn't know any store stocked these anymore! I mean after the accident at Nibelhiem and all.." Sage nodded in agreement.  
  
"Hmmm? The fire? You mean with Sephiroth, right?" I looked over at the two, forgetting all about the fact that at that time I should have been sneaking out the door to steal Tim's bike.  
  
They ignored me, so I eavesdropped. "I salvaged these from Nibelhiem before the accident." Tim nodded as well. "Quite rare I might add.." Sage winked at him. Tim sighed and pulled out wads of Gil from his pocket. "Great!" Sage said placing a Mimett Green on the counter. "These greens are quite rare, but I'll sell you this one, due to it's small size, for twenty-five thousand Gil. Ok?" Tim sighed again and shelled out the Gil.  
  
"Oh! Tim, would you mind going to get Sonyia my blue Chocobo from the pen? I'm going to grab some supplies while I'm here." Tim smiled and rushed out to get my bird. In actuality, Sage would not let anyone except the owner recover the creatures, making Tim and the bird keeper argue for a good fifteen minutes.  
  
Now was the time to escape with Tim's bike. I began to leave when Demorina, a young apprentice caught sight of me. "Excuse me, miss?" She set her broom down and walked towards me. "Where are you going? You can't let that young man redeem the Chocobo, as you well ought to know." She looked at me sternly, and I just gazed at her with pleading eyes.  
  
"Please.. You don't know anything Demorina, just let me go about my business." I stated, becoming stern. Demorina had no right to stop me from leaving. She looked out past me, and past the fluttering Chocobo's in the pen, to the motorcycle parked at the entrance, and her tone lessened.  
  
"I understand," she said, going back to her broom. "It's just.. How far can you get on a motorcycle? Not as far as you could on Sonyia... That's a blue Chocobo, right?" I nodded. "Well.. Those birds can cross water.. Didn't you know that?" Demorina smiled, just as Sage stepped back into the shop, along with a very ticked off Timothy.  
  
"Why can't I take that damn bird out of the barn?! Aeris is right here!" He shouted, then stormed outside and got onto his bike and just sat there cursing loudly.  
  
Chocobo Sage sighed, "Aeris, you are the owner of that blue Chocobo. If it was a yellow bird, sure, Tim could've taken it out of the barn, but because it's a bird of special quality, you, the owner, must recover the creature." He gestured towards the door, so I nodded and headed for the barn.  
  
"Boy, this bird is a beaute," Sage smiled, caressing the ring of feathers around Sonyia's neck.  
  
"Yea," I smiled. "It took me weeks to breed a blue one. I kept getting black and green.. And a little white one I named Chico."  
  
Sage's mouth dropped open, "Th- That white Chocobo in Mideel??" I laughed, nodding in disagreement.  
  
"No.. I don't know where that bird came from. Chico lives with Tim's family. They look after him. Although.. Chico looks quite similar to the one in Mideel, mine is a little less hyper." Sage smiled. We had all heard on 7/7 Shinra News that there was a mystic white Chocobo of miniature proportions. It became world famous, and was taken ownership to a frantic woman retiring in Mideel. It's name was kept a secret though, for if you screamed it as long as your lungs could carry, that little white Chocobo would take instant ownership to you. Luckily, I had my own. "So, can we take Sonyia outside, I really must be going."  
  
"Sure." He held out his hand, "That'll be seven hundred Gil for the looking after and taking care of Sonyia, blue Chocobo number four-twenty-six." I sighed.  
  



	7. Friend or Foe?

.:: Chapter 7: Friend or Foe? ::.  
  
"Aeris, where are you going?!" Tom came up behind me on his motorcycle as I was darting through the marshlands, trying to outrun the giant serpent that dwelled within.  
  
"Tim, leave me! I've got to go, the serpent is coming!" I waved him away, but he persisted.  
  
"Aeris! No!" His gaze of worry and fright changed to darkness and hate. "You're not getting away now!" Tim slammed his breaks, sliding into the side of my Chocobo, knocking her off balance. Sonyia, luckily had not been hurt, and when Tim hit her, she fluttered up missing the bike, but falling over none the less. I slammed into the ground, getting scraped badly and covered in wetland sludge.  
  
"Ugh.." I looked up angrily at him. "What the hell did you do that for?!" I stood up, pulling out the Wizer Staff and glaring at him.   
  
"I told you Aeris. Your not getting away, and if you want to live you'd come with me." He smiled evilly, the look people get when they enjoy what they've done. People, who kill.   
  
Sonyia stuttered, but managed to stand up, still wobbly. "Wark wark?!" She was angry at him too, and dove fiercely at Tim with her diamond hard beak.   
  
"Whoa birdie!" Tim simply stepped to the side, and Sonyia tumbled into the marsh. Fatigued and dazed, she remained on the ground, giving no signs of recovering to her battle stance.  
  
"Tim..." I took a step forward, but with surprising swiftness, Tim whipped out a sharp Mythril Dagger and held it to my neck. "What?! Tom, I thought we were friends, what is going on!" I demanded, Tim's grip did not lessen, but seemed to get tighter.  
  
"We weren't friends Aeris and you know it! You probably know I had a major crush on you too, well until you ditched me for that loser.. What was his name... C'mon, surely you remember!"  
  
Who was he talking about, I had no clue. "Errr.." I strained my memory, who had I ditched him for? What had I been doing with him? Nothing came to me.  
  
"Brik!" He shouted. "You ditched me for Brik Teddler!" Tim gave a sort of pity laugh, and then with extreme strength slammed his kendo stick across the back of my legs, knocking me to the ground.   
  
I let out a yelp of surprise escaped my lips, as I knew Tim had over-powered me, and still had that Mythril Dagger in his hand. "Look, Tim, I don't remember this at all! What are you talking about?!" I honestly had no idea what was going on, but I got the hunch that this story of his was very much a lie.   
  
Tim again smiled, and without saying a word, reach up and without warning jammed his dagger right into my stomach, and once again I got that horrible spike of pain that spreads through your whole body. You know, that pain that won't go away, and you know four advil won't do the trick. The pain sheared through my body, and everything seemed to light up. I was blinded by the pain, and I couldn't find Cure.   
  
"Looking for this?" Tom asked, I could only make out his voice now, and I was slipping from conciseness. "It's the Restore Materia your looking for, tsk tsk Aeris.. I know your tricks by now." He laughed again and I heard that grinding noise of flesh and metal, scraping my insides, till the dagger was gone. Tom had ripped it out, and as air touched blood, I could feel the pain grow and the warm blood flush out onto the ground.  
  
Oh how I was tempted to let Tim finish me off, I so wanted the pain to end. As I began to lay down and let the relief of death over come me once again, I thought of Cloud. No, not only of Cloud, but of Tifa, and Yuffie. Of Red, and Barret, and of Cid. I thought of Vincent, how he'd sit alone, quiet all the time, watching the stars. I remembered that annoying stuffed cat, Cait, and I knew that my mission wasn't over, I had to reach them all. They were my friends, my family.  
  
Rage over came me, as I remembered all my friends, I hadn't felt so heated and angry in all my life. I had to get away from Tim, but not only him. I had to escape everyone who'd get in my way, and from the look of it, that'd be an awful lot of people. Staggering, I forced myself to stand, and Tim, who was taken aback, let out a squeak of surprise. "Tim, you are not ending it here! I'm going to find my friends!" Quickly, I grabbed my Wizer Staff, and cast Healing Wind. Instantly I was cured of most the pain from the dagger, and now Tom was already in a battle pose.   
  
"Aeris, you fool. You can't defeat me!" Tim lunged at me with the dagger in his hand, and knowing too well already, I backflipped out of his grasp.  
  
"Not so fast!" I took my Wizer Staff and as hard as I could, sliced it's only sharp edge right across his body.   
  
"Ugh.." Tim uttered as blood began to drip from the wound running down his side. "Aeris... You.. Can't win." He groaned, collapsing to the ground.  
  



	8. Welcome to Junon

.:: Chapter 8: Welcome to Junon ::.  
  
I didn't know if Tim was dead or not, as soon as he had fallen, I had leapt on Sonyia and dashed away as fast as her little Chocobo legs could go, and not looking back.  
  
I had made it all the way to Junon, which seemed to be in a sadder state of being than the last time I had been by. Sludge poured onto the beaches washing in dead sea creatures of every kind. That Shinra military base above was doing more damage than good to the world. "That's just another part of Shinra we're going to take down someday, Sonyia." I casually said to my blue bird, as we trotted into the town.  
  
"Good morrow, and welcome to Junon Harbor!" an old man with a long white beard greeted me as I passed the town's tavern, Seaside Breeze.  
  
"Good day to you, Sir." I spoke, slowing Sonyia to a halt in front of him. "Could you tell me, does that Tavern over there offer rooms to spend the night?"  
  
"It sure does! Junon Harbor may be a slimly run-down fisherman's village, but we still have the top-notch services that you'd find anywhere else." He winked, "Some say its four percent cleaner, dirt that is, than Midgar! Can you believe that?!" He beamed, and I knew then that this man had been a resident of Junon for longer than even he could probably remeber.  
  
"Amazing.." I said, trying to sound astonished, "I grew up in Midgar, near the outskirts of the Slums. Still under that "Rotting Pizza", but I see that Junon has it's own rotten pies to deal with. Shinra has really messed up, ya' know?" I couldn't help this, I knew I was saying too much. For all I knew this man could be a Shinra official, maybe the Vice President or something.  
  
Relieved, he responded that they were hard times, and that they were going to have to do something themselves. They were going to run Shinra out of Junon, that is as soon as they were able to find a group of rebels brave enough to sink the corporation.   
  
I sighed, as did he, and were momentarily lost in our own thoughts. Without a word he stiffly walked back to the building on the other side of the street, climbed the staircase, and walked inside. I kicked my heel into Sonyia and we trotted around the back of the Seaside Breeze, so I could tie her reins to the "Chocobo Post" a small stand run by a little boy, probably between twelve and thirteen.  
  
"Now be good, Sonyia, and don't give this boy too much trouble!" I patted her head and walked inside the Seaside Breeze to get a good night's sleep... Which was far from what what I got.  
  
As I stepped in, I was immediately met by the eyes of fifteen different watermen, all guzzling boozes. "Great. Drunks," I muttered stepping up to one of the Bar Maids. "'Scuse me, Miss?" I asked, beginning to yawn, "Is there any chance I can get a room to stay in tonight?" She smiled, and stepped behind the counter.  
  
"It's 35 Gil a night, shall you be staying?" she asked, then under her breath, added, "Just don't let these fools know 'bout you being here, and lock the door. They ain't married." She winked, and still yawning, I handed her the gil.  
  



	9. Ghost Town

.:: Chapter 9: Ghost Town ::.  
  
In the morning, I sleepily trodded down the small, rickety stairs of the Seaside Breeze. As I stepped into the lobby to head out for breakfast I noticed the Bar Maid wasn't attending the counter, and no one seemed to be in sight.   
  
"Hello?" I called out, nervously stepping aorund the the small inn. There wasn't even sounds of life in the building, not a shuffle, breathe, or murmmer. As I was about to step out onto the balcony looking out over the ocean, a black figure swifty ran by me up the stairs. "Wha?? Wait! Hey," I ran over to the staircase, but stopped abruptly when I noticed a dozen pairs of gleaming red, blood thristy eyes all focused on me.  
  
"Rrrrrr," the creature that had so quicky ran upstairs was now inching it's way towards me, with the same red eyes. It was a Whymper, a beast I had only read about in history books and seen on Critter Planet: Going Wild with Tonberry-Rufus. Before I had a chance to escape, all thirteen, which was including the Whymper coming at me from the staircase, leapt at me with huge white fangs, and vicious claws.  
  
"Wha..Wha..WHOA!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and ran as fast as I could out of the Seaside Breeze, locking the door behind me. "Whew.." I sighed a great relief, that is until I looked around to notice that the whole town was deserted, even the Shinra guard that kept watch at the elevator. "Something is so wrong here. Where did everybody go?"   
  
For the next hour I spent my time going in and out of the town's buildings, but nothing living could be found, even the Whympers had disappeared from the inn. After a while, I decided to go into a local deli that I had found. Atleast I'd be able to make a good sandwich. But as I stepped out with a mouth-watering turkey and cheese sub, I was stopped short by a gruesome beast that sat in front of me, as if it was waiting for me to leave the building. Caught by surprise I dropped my sandwich, but then managed to pull out my Wizer Staff, and pointed it at the monster, the tip glowing with the magic I had equipped earlier while rumaging through the Materia Shop.  
  
"Who are you?" I questioned the monster, and it only smiled, baring rotting, blood stained fangs. "Answer me now or you die, beast!" I yelled, losing control of myself.  
  
"I am but a lonely ghost. Much like you are." It was still smiling, and pointed at me. "You are.. But a ghost, no?"  
  
I was dumbfounded. I did not have an answer, and for the first time I realized I was in over my head. The ghost was right, I wasn't really alive. "How.. How do you know what I am?"  
  
"I know." The creature smiled it's toothy grin once more before disappearing in the shadows. I began to shake, terrified that someone else knew. Even if it was a nasty monster with gruesome fangs. It knew, and that's what mattered. I now knew that if I ever wanted to see Cloud again I would have to find this monster once again.  
  
Within minutes I had untied my blue Chocobo. We headed towards the beach. "C'mon Sonyia, you can do it," I caressed the bird. She was extremely hesitant about walking on water, but that was her magical skill. Upon hearing the low growls of a new pack of Whympers, I kicked my heels into her sides, and over the sea we flew. Destination: Costa Del Sol.  
  
  



	10. Swing This Way

.:: Chapter 10: Swing This Way::.  
  
Once I arrived in Costa Del Sol, things were basically the same as when I had previously been there. People from all over had come to catch some rays. It was the kind of place you want to go for a tropical vacation, the kind of place where the pina-colada glass never gets empty.  
  
As I walked through the town, looking for the bar, I was bombarded by a large group of boys chasing after a small soccer ball. Sonyia instictivly put her great foot on top and clenched her talons so that the ball was just about ready to pop under the pressure.  
  
"'ey lady," a small child ran up to me, "Can we have our ball back, please?"  
  
I smiled an dismounted my pet. "Sure, if you can get it first!" I whistled and Sonyia let go of the ball and kicked it up in the air. I reached out and caught it then mockingly put it under my arm and smiled down at the group of small fries.  
  
"C'mon lady, our mam says that umm.."  
  
"Mam says we don't play with guurls," a bigger child chimed in. "'nd if we do, we get a whacking."  
  
"Well then you are going to have to help me before I give you the ball back," I replied looking down at them all. There must have been seven of the little buggers, and each one had his eyes on the black and white ball.   
  
The boys all let out an exasperated sigh, but still the replied, "'s."  
  
"That's good," I concluded, and nodded with a smirk on my face. I was in power. Power over eight and nine year olds, but never the less, I was in power. I knelt down and told them all I wanted to know where the bar was. The pointed the way, and when I wlaked off with their ball, I had to all explain that I wasn't done with them yet. So, angrily, they all sat down outside the bar and waited for me.  
  
When I walked in, all I could see was dim lights, and what were possibly people. I couldn't really make any of the faces out, because the cigarette smoke was so heavy. I coughed a bit and continued to make my way through the small crowd of drinkers. When I managed to get to the bar tender, he asked what I wanted to drink, and I told him a Virgin Mary. I wasn't a drinker.   
  
As he was making the frothy tomatoe beverage, I leaned against the counted and tried to makeout more faces. Suddenly I found who I was looking for. It was Elena, future female Turk.  
  
"Hello," I said with a false smile planted on my face. She looked up for a minute and replied with the same gesture. Only, I got the impression her smiled was in fact genuine. I really didn't understand why.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked, looking at me with the same expression on her face.  
  
"Indeed. I need to talk to you, can we go somewhere private?" She beamed, and gestured towards the staircase leading to the small apartment buildings.  
  
Once we were inside, I began to question her. "I understand you are planning on becoming a Shinra Turk. Is that so?"   
  
"Oh, yes. That's always been one of my big dreams," she smiled, and moved from the armchair she was sitting in to the cushin next to me on the couch. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well," I looked over at her, "I need you to tell me some things about yourself. I'm with Shinra, I check up on Turk applicants."   
  
She looked at me, getting a sterner look on her face, "I'm not an applicant. I'm a Turk in training!"  
  
"Really?" I said, laughing. "Well then has anyone come by to ask you any of this?" She replied with a yes, so I decided to go a different direction. "Ok, well they must have been a mix up. Timothy probably screwed with the files again."  
  
"That bastard is always getting in the way," Elena muttered, angrily.   
  
"You know him?"   
  
"Of course! He's Hojo's son, am I right? He's so creepy, I know Hojo's done something to him. Like that, that red beast they call Red-Thirteen."  
  
"They've done something to Nanaki?!" I asked, jumping up. Then it hit me, I needed no rescuing from Shinra, that meant Cloud and the rest didn't need to go into the building. Poor Red had been left there to be experimented on.  
  
"Anyways, I know you aren't from Shinra," She continued.  
  
"What do you mean, of course I am."  
  
"What's the secret employee code of loyalty, Aeris," I looked at her with shocked eyes, and she smiled lopsidedly. "You've come all this way, let me make the trip worth while."  
  
Suddenly Elena grabbed me by the arms and moved her face closer to mine. "Swing this way, honey!" I twisted to get loosed, prying at her fingers. "Wiggly, huh?" She smiled and kissed me on the cheek.  
  
I gagged, and pushed her away. I ran down the stairs of the bar, and out the door to where all the little boys were awaiting my return.   
  
"You can have your ball back guys," I said dropping it in front of them and briskly walking to Sonyia. I rubbed viciously at my cheek, hoping in some way I wouldn't have to come to terms with what almost happened. Well, that solved the mystery of why Elena never seemed interested in Reno. It most certainly did.  
  
  
  
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I'm still working on Chapter 11. It WILL be the Cleris chapter of this story so for all you ramantics out there, make sure you come back! But I have something evilly plotted in store. )  
  
Please review so I can get feedback on what to write next!  
  
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